Endings and Beginnings
by laurah2215
Summary: Pairing: CJ/Danny; Series: The Concannon's:Present, Past and Future; Story # 11;Abbey graduates college and Noah has a surprise


Title: Endings and Beginnings

Title: Endings and Beginnings  
Series: The Concannonâ€™s Present, Past and Future  
Author: Laura H  
Rating-Teen to adult  
Disclaimer: Blah, Blah Blah  
Synopsis: Graduation night.  
Notes: Iâ€™m back at university in now and wonâ€™t have time to write  
between class work, my job, club activities and volunteer work. But,  
one last little treat before the insanity begins. Iâ€™ve really got to  
stop projecting myself into Abbey, itâ€™s just becoming too weird.  
Story 1-I Loved Her First  
Story2- Just Another Day in Paradise  
Story 3: My Little Girl  
Story 4:Chivalry Isnâ€™t Dead  
Story 5:Heâ€™s Just Sensitive  
Story 6: The Hardest Conversation Ever  
Story 7: Letting Go  
Story 8: Getting Good at New Things  
Story 9: Where We Need to Be  
Story 10: Always Loved By Me Youâ€™re Gonna Be  
Story 11: Endings and Beginnings

Timeline  
Nov 2006- CJ and Danny finally see what theyâ€™ve been missing for  
eight years.  
Jan 2007- CJ and Danny move to California together. CJ becomes  
President of the Hollis Foundation. Danny begins writing Josiah  
Bartletâ€™s biography.  
July 2007-CJ and Danny get married at the Bartlet farm and conceive  
Abigail during their honeymoon in Ireland.  
Sept 2007- Danny starts school to finish his doctorate  
Feb 2008- Abigail is born  
March 2009-Patrick is born.  
January 2011:â€ Story 5-Heâ€™s Just Sensitiveâ€  
Sept 2013:Story 2-â€œJust Another Day in Paradiseâ€  
Nov 2013- February 2014: Story 3- â€œMy Little Girlâ€  
June 2021: Story 4- â€œChivalry Isnâ€™t Deadâ€  
Jan 2025:Story 6-â€œThe Hardest Conversation Everâ€  
March 2025: Story 7- â€œLetting Goâ€  
June 2029-Story 11 â€œEndings and Beginningsâ€  
May 2032: Story 1-Abigailâ€™s wedding- â€œI Loved Her Firstâ€  
July 2032: Story 8- â€œGetting Good at New Thingsâ€  
September 2032: Story 9-â€œWhere We Need to Beâ€  
January 2033: Story 10-â€œAlways Loved By Me Youâ€™re Gonna Be

While Abbey is changing in the two-bedroom suite for dinner  
with Toby, Annabeth and a few former colleagues of CJ, Josh and Donna,  
Noah takes an opportunity to join CJ and Danny on the grounds of their  
hotel in D.C. Josh and Donna are in their room changing, and PJ is  
reading in the suite on the couch. Two weeks ago, CJ, Danny and Abbey  
had flown to Massachusetts for Noahâ€™s Harvard convocation ceremony for  
graduation from the Kennedy School of Government. Now, Josh, Donna  
and Noah are returning the favour by following the Concannonâ€™s to  
Washington for Abbeyâ€™s commencement ceremonies at Georgetown. Four  
years of undergraduate education for the young adults had flown by,  
and they are both stronger for it. Many had doubted (and they are  
included in that many) occasionally that the young couple would make  
it while they were attending school in different states. It had been  
trying at times, but the once or twice monthly visits they did have  
served to solidify their love and make the accomplishment of staying  
together and finishing school so remarkable. The hardest part is over  
now, and they will both be starting law school at Yale in September.

â€œYou must be incredibly proud,â€ Noah presumes as way of a  
greeting his girlfriendâ€™s parents on the perfectly manicured lawn.  
They are sitting in large whicker chairs on a patio, and Noah seats  
himself on a chair next to Danny.

Danny turns his head to look at the young man in a light blue  
button-down shirt and neat khakis. â€œWeâ€™ve never been this proud.  
Tomorrow our daughterâ€™s going to receive a monumental piece of paper  
that declares she has worked hard and excelled academically to earn a  
prestigious degree from a university that has turned out many  
influential persons.â€

â€œWeâ€™ve been dreaming of this day since Abbey was born. Weâ€™re  
immensely proud, as are your parents of your success.â€ CJ smiles  
before raising her glass of wine to her lips.

â€œAbbey deserves this so much; sheâ€™s worked so hard,â€ Noah states  
with his own pride and adoration for his girlfriend in his voice and eyes.

â€œShe really has,â€ Danny agrees.

Licking his lips and running a hand through his mess of curls  
out of habit (he knows Abbey will wet her hands and smooth it back  
later before they go out), Noah leans forward. â€œ I, uh, actually  
wanted to talk about our future. Abbeyâ€¦Abbey and my future. Weâ€™ve been  
thinking about maybe getting a little condo in New Haven or just  
renting an apartment.â€

â€œYou canâ€™t live together,â€ Danny protests firmly until he feels  
CJâ€™s fingers wrap around his wrist and squeeze gently, asking him to  
assess what he is saying. Danny always blocked out the fact that  
during the last four years, Abbey and Noah had slept together when  
they visited each other. Even staying in the hotel, Danny had  
insisted that Abbey sleep in their suite and Noah and PJ share a room  
in the Lymanâ€™s suite.

Taking a deep breath, Noah tries his best to steadily meet  
Dannyâ€™s eyes. â€œWell, thatâ€™s what I wanted to talk to you about. See,  
Iâ€™ve been putting aside a bit of money every month into a savings  
account and I finally have enough with a small loan Iâ€™ve secured to  
put a nice diamond on Abbeyâ€™s finger.â€

â€œOh my God!â€ CJ gasps in delight.

â€œYouâ€™re asking Abbey to marry you?â€ Danny asks in disbelief. Heâ€™s  
floored, but knows he shouldnâ€™t be. The kids had always talked  
abstractly about marriage for years. But theyâ€™re so young, still; only  
twenty-one.

â€œIâ€™d really like to, with your blessing. Iâ€™ve loved Abbey  
forever and we want to build a life together. I assure you that I will  
always love her and support her in everything she wants to do. I  
respect and adore her and will strive to always put her happiness  
above my own. I know you probably just thought our dreams of getting  
married and having a family were just idealistic fantasy from two kids  
too young to really understand what it would take to build a strong  
family. And I know how difficult it will be to be even a fraction of  
the husband and father Abbey has seen modeled in you. But if I can  
make Abbey as happy as you make CJ and put an everlasting sparkle in  
her eyes for all eternity, then that will surely be the most rewarding  
accomplishment Iâ€™ll ever achieve.â€ Noah exhales lightly, a wash of  
relief flooding over him. The hardest part is over.

â€œOh, honey, youâ€™ve already put that sparkle in her eyes. Itâ€™s  
been there for years and I know it will never go out. â€œ CJ jumps out  
of her chair and pulls Noah into a hug.

â€œI hope youâ€™re right,â€ Noah laughs nervously. Danny still hasnâ€™t  
said anything. Noah just stares expectantly.

Slowly, contemplatively, Danny rises to his feet and meets Noahâ€™s  
gaze. â€œWell, our daughter is her own person and therefore it is her  
hand to give to you. But I can confidently say that we believe youâ€™re  
the half that makes our daughter whole. Youâ€™ve given us every reason  
to trust you with her heart and life, and weâ€™d be delighted to welcome  
formally you and your family into ours. While no man will ever be good  
enough for my little girl, youâ€™re a remarkable young man and I know  
youâ€™ll be everything she deserves.â€

A massive boulder lifting off his shoulders, Noah accepts Dannyâ€™s  
open arms.â€œ Thanks you so much. I promise I wonâ€™t let you down.â€

Danny lowers his eyes in warning. â€œYou better not. â€˜Cause one day  
if you ever become the father of a little girl, youâ€™ll understand a  
fatherâ€™s wrath and know that you donâ€™t ever want to be on the  
receiving end of that.â€

â€œThen Iâ€™ll be careful not to do anything to provoke it,â€ Noah  
states seriously.

â€œNoah, I just have one concern,â€ CJ vocalizes hesitantly.

Noah whips around to address CJ. â€œ Okay.â€

â€œAbbeyâ€™s worked very hard in school to get this far, to be going  
to Yale in September. Her education, as you know, is incredibly  
important to her and Iâ€¦we wouldnâ€™t want to see anything detract her  
from her goals.â€

â€œOf course, CJ. I understand,â€ Noah states convincingly.

CJ feels the need to expand her argument.â€œ If you got married  
soon and something distracted her from completing her education, I  
donâ€™t think sheâ€™d ever forgive herself and she could end up resenting  
you. Thatâ€™s no way to start a marriage. So, if you could hold off  
until youâ€™re finished school, Iâ€™m sure weâ€™d all be more at ease.â€

â€œAbsolutely. I donâ€™t know what Abbey will want, but whenever  
weâ€™ve talked about marriage, itâ€™s always after weâ€™ve graduated law  
school. I donâ€™t think sheâ€™ll want a wedding before that.â€

â€œPlease convince her of that. We canâ€™t say anything or sheâ€™ll  
think weâ€™re intruding. And naturally itâ€™s not our decision as to when  
or if you get married. But please articulate our reasoning to her. It  
would really make me feel better.â€

â€œIâ€™ll suggest that it would be better to have a long engagement,â€  
Noah agrees.

â€œAbigail Cregg-Concannon,â€ booms an officer at the commencement  
the following evening. Abbey, decked in her schoolâ€™s cap and gown,  
ascends the stairs to the stage to accept her diploma.

In the hall, Abbeyâ€™s fan club (CJ, Danny, PJ, Noah, Josh, Donna,  
Toby and Annabeth) jumps to their feet, snapping pictures and shouting  
cat calls (well, Noah and PJ). Beaming in pride and excitement, Abbey  
tips her hat in the direction she knows her family and friends are in.

After the ceremony, Abbey says goodbye and good luck to some of  
her classmates and rushes out to where her supporters are waiting  
among the sea of graduates and their respective entourages.

â€œItâ€™s all over,â€ Abbey sighs contentedly.

Extending a bouquet of roses in one hand, Noah wraps his arm  
around Abbey. â€œ Congratulations.â€

Everyone exchanges hugs and kisses with the graduate. They had  
given Abbey gifts prior to the ceremony in the hotel. Danny and CJ had  
given their daughter a new top-of-the-line laptop to replace the one  
she had used all of undergrad. Donna and Josh gave Abbey a limited  
edition of the Constitution and Bill of Rights that Josh had signed  
and noted by all the succeeding presidents(even Republicans) since  
Bartlet. They did the same for Noah two weeks ago. Since Ella and Davy  
had never shown the interest that Noah and Abbey did in national  
government, the Lymanâ€™s decided years back to have the second copy  
addressed to Abbey and not one of their other children. After all,  
Josh told both kids when they got the Constitution, you couldnâ€™t  
survive Yale Law School without a copy of the highest law in the land.  
Both editions saw Josiah Bartletâ€™s penmanship and words of wisdom  
only months before he finally succumbed to multiple sclerosis. Noah  
gave Abbey a gorgeous tennis bracelet that made a dent in his savings  
account before he even purchased the ring.

â€œI thought maybe we could go to Bertoldiâ€™s for dinner,â€ suggests  
Abbey when the congratulations have ceased.

Holding the over-sized gown Abbey had stripped out of after the  
ceremony, CJ shakes her head slightly. â€œActually, honey, Noah wanted  
to take you out alone. Weâ€™ll celebrate at brunch tomorrow before we  
head home.â€

â€œOh, okay.â€ Abbey turns to her boyfriend beside her. â€œAll right,  
well, thanks for being here tonight. I really appreciate having you  
all here to celebrate.â€

The group separates, Noah and Abbey going to a posh restaurant  
downtown and the rest heading to a familiar place they typically eat  
at when in the capital.

â€œHowâ€™s the veal? Abbey inquires conversationally, setting her  
glass of wine back on the table.

â€œItâ€™s good. Do you want some?â€ Noah redirects his attention back  
to the woman in front of him. Heâ€™s trying not to let her see how  
nervous he is, but itâ€™s next to impossible. She can always read him  
like a book. He just wants the night to be a surprise.

â€œNoah, when have I ever eaten veal?â€ Abbey chuckles lightly  
before studying Noah more intently. â€œIs everything okay? You seem a  
littleâ€¦distant.â€

Noahâ€™s eyes dilate and he attempts to tread backwards. â€œ Iâ€™m  
sorry. This is your special day. I didnâ€™t mean to bring the mood down.  
Wouldâ€¦would you like to dance?â€ Noah turns his head in the direction  
of the dance floor and his lips curl into a genuine, dimple-y smile.

Smiling in relief, Abbey nods. â€œ Sure.â€ She takes the napkin on  
her lap and tosses it on the table.

â€œShouldnâ€™t we be getting a cab back to the hotel?â€ Abbey asks as  
she and Noah walk-hand-in-hand along the National Mall area.

â€œYou eager to get going?â€ Noah grins, looking at Abbeyâ€™s face  
glimmering in the moonlight.

â€œNo, but my dad will be worrying,â€ Abbey explains.

â€œNah. He knows youâ€™re safe with me. Come on, I wanna see the  
Reflection Pool.â€ Noah gently tugs Abbey toward the destination and  
only stops when they reach a bench. â€œDo you remember all the long  
walks we took around here the last four years?â€

Abbey curls up to Noah on the bench and nods into his neck and  
shoulder. â€œYeah. We solved all the worldâ€™s problems here,â€ Abbey  
jests, referring to all the heated debates they had engaged in during  
their time together in Washington.

â€œWe did. Now if only we could get through law school with the  
credentials and experience necessary to get a job in this city so we  
can actually affect some change.â€ Noah laces his fingers through  
Abbeyâ€™s and stares sharply at her left ring finger, imagining the ring  
there that he is about to use to ask her to marry him.

â€œItâ€™s a gorgeous night,â€ Abbey declares with a contented sigh.

Swallowing hard, Noah decides the time is right. He adjusts his  
body to be facing Abbey and takes both of her hands in his, staring  
lovingly into her clear blue eyes. â€œIâ€¦I wanted to bring you here  
tonight because itâ€™s a place thatâ€™s very dear to us. If it werenâ€™t for  
the institutions in this city, our parents would never have served Jed  
Bartlet and never have met and become close friends. This city is the  
reason our parents fell in love and had us. If it werenâ€™t for it, itâ€™s  
possible we wouldnâ€™t have been born and itâ€™s certain we never would  
have become best friends and fell in love. Iâ€™ve loved you forever and  
I knew the first time we made love that it would be an all-consuming,  
timeless love that would endure everything. We made it four years  
apart, and now Iâ€™m ready to really start our future together. That  
life weâ€™ve been dreaming of for years is finally within our reach and  
I promise I will do everything possible to help you achieve your  
goals. I will love you unconditionally forever and will always do my  
best to make you happy. I have been so incredibly blessed as to have  
my best friend become my soul-mate, and if you agree, I want to be  
blessed to have you as my wife for the rest of my life. â€

By this point, Abbey canâ€™t contain her grin, excitement and  
surprise. â€œOh, my God!â€

Noah fumbles in his suit pocket for the ring box and flips it  
open with gusto. Smiling widely, Noah extends his hand and the box for  
Abbeyâ€™s inspection. â€œAbbey, will you marry me?â€

Inhaling sharply, Abbey melts into Noahâ€™s free arm. â€œYes!â€ She  
pecks Noahâ€™s lips quickly. â€œA million times yes!â€ Now Abbey alternates  
between kissing her fiancÃ© earnestly and gasping for air. Sheâ€™s so  
shocked and elated she can hardly stand it. â€œOh, my God. I love you so  
much.â€

â€œI love you more than youâ€™ll ever know. And you are making me  
ecstatically happy.â€ Noah cups Abbeyâ€™s cheek with his free hand and  
kisses back passionately. He feels another massive weight float off  
his shoulders. She said yes.

â€œNoah?â€ Abbeyâ€™s eyes widen in anticipation.

â€œYeah?â€ Noah stares back in confusion.

â€œThe ring?â€ Abbey giggles with an eye-roll.

â€œOh, right,â€ Noah chuckles in self-deprecation. â€œ Itâ€™sâ€¦itâ€™s the  
same emerald cut that my grandfather gave my grandmother and my dad  
gave my mom. I intend to carry on the tradition of Lyman men with  
strong and loving marriages.â€ Noah removes the ring from its box and  
cautiously slips it on Abbeyâ€™s ring finger, his eyes never wavering  
from hers. â€œIs it okay?â€

â€œItâ€™s perfect,â€ Abbey declares after examining the diamond. She  
traces Noahâ€™s jaw with her index finger and sucks on his bottom lip.

â€œDo, do you wanna call your parents?â€ Noah inquires after  
breaking off.

â€œWell, that killed the mood,â€ sighs Abbey, to which Noah simply  
grins. â€œCanâ€™t we just tell them when we get back to the hotel?â€

â€œWeâ€™re not going back to the hotel. Iâ€™ve got us a room at the  
Ritz-Carlton.â€ Noah wags his brows, clearly impressed with himself.

Abbey gasps and brings a hand to her mouth. â€œOh ,my God! Noah, we  
canâ€™t afford that.â€ She tries not to let her disappointment show.  
Theyâ€™ve never stayed in a fancy hotel, at least not when their parents  
werenâ€™t paying for it.

â€œDonâ€™t worry. I want this to be a very memorable night. I told your  
parents that we wouldnâ€™t be back tonight. So, you should call them  
while I get a cab.â€ Noah stands up, pulling Abbey with him.

â€œAnd my dad agreed to that?â€ Abbey asks in disbelief, following  
Noah back onto a main intersection where they can hail a taxi.

â€œWhen I told him it was part of my proposal, he conceded.â€ Noah  
canâ€™t help staring down at the ring catching the moonlight.

â€œYou told them you were doing this tonight?â€

â€œWell, I had to secure their blessing,â€ Noah explains nonchalantly.

â€œOh, wow. Thatâ€™s so sweet and Neanderthalic of you,â€ Abbey says  
jokingly. â€œ You do realize we donâ€™t need their permission?â€

â€œNo, we donâ€™t. Youâ€™re your own person. But we could never do it  
against their will,â€ Noah states pointedly. He canâ€™t imagine Abbey  
explicitly going against their wishes like that, and he wouldnâ€™t be  
comfortable marrying her if her family disapproved. Thatâ€™s just the  
way they are.

â€¢  
Abbey awakes in a strangely luxurious bed to the smell of  
sizzling bacon, fresh biscuits and eggs. When she opens her eyes and  
turns around to glance at the French doors, she spots Noah resting in  
the doorjamb with a silver tray in his hands.

â€œMorning, beautiful. Breakfast is served,â€ Noah grins insanely,  
padding across the room to deliver the tray. He canâ€™t wipe the  
dimple-filled grin from his face or quit his cocky swagger.

â€œMy man,â€ sighs Abbey contently.

â€œI know you wonâ€™t do anything until youâ€™ve had your orange juice,  
so I figured I better order breakfast before you wake up.â€ Noah  
snuggles up next to Abbey under the satin sheets and offers her the tray.

â€œYou know me too well,â€ Abbey declares, reaching for a biscuit  
and laying a hot kiss to Noahâ€™s lips.

â€œI thought you didnâ€™t make-out before mouthwash?â€ Noah teases.  
He always get slightly annoyed that Abbey refuses to be near him in  
the mornings until theyâ€™ve both gotten rid of their morning breath.

â€œWell,â€ Abbey says between bites. â€œ if weâ€™re gonna be married, I  
think weâ€™ll have to get used to morning breath.â€

â€œIâ€™m proud of you; youâ€™re really growing,â€ jests Noah, stabbing a  
piece of bacon.

Abbey glances around the room with a huge grin, simply stunned.  
â€œI just canâ€™t believe weâ€™re at the Ritz having room service. Weâ€™ve  
never had room service!â€

â€œWell, let this be the beginning of me helping you realize your  
dreams,â€ Noah professes.

Swallowing hard, Abbey stares directly into Noahâ€™s eyes. â€œ How  
can you afford this?â€

Noah takes a deep breath. This is going to be one of probably  
many discussions about their financial circumstances. â€œ Abbey, I  
consider myself an enlightened man. When weâ€™re married, weâ€™re going to  
share our money and be partners in all economic matters related to our  
family. But sometimes, when I do something like this -which wonâ€™t  
likely be often- I donâ€™t want you to ask questions. Please just accept  
that I want to do something nice for you and want you to just enjoy it  
and not worry about how much itâ€™s costing me.â€

Nodding firmly, Abbey concedes. â€œ Okay.â€

â€œNow, tell me what kind of wedding youâ€™d like. I want you to have  
everything youâ€™ve always wanted.â€ Noah recommences eating off the tray  
with Abbey.

â€œI donâ€™t want a lot. Iâ€™d kinda just like something small.  
Actually, I..I was thinking maybe having it at the Bartlet farm, like  
my parents did.â€ Abbey lifts her glass of juice to her lips.

â€œThat sounds nice,â€ Noah responds.

â€œReally? You donâ€™t think thatâ€™s cheesy?â€ Abbeyâ€™s never told Noah  
where she wants the venue for their wedding.

â€œNot if thatâ€™s what you want. I kinda like the idea of an  
intimate place that has some relevance to us,â€ Noah admits.

â€œYeah! Iâ€™m glad weâ€™re on the same page about this.â€

â€œAbbey,â€ Noah begins, setting his fork down. â€œI think we should  
have a long engagement. Iâ€™m so excited about the thought of marrying  
you and the wedding, but maybe we shouldnâ€™t be planning a wedding and  
starting a marriage while weâ€™re still in school.â€

â€œYeah. We should have the wedding after we graduate. Iâ€™ve kinda  
had a deal with myself that I wouldnâ€™t, regardless of how much I love  
you, forsake my education and living this student life for getting  
married. I wanna milk this for all its worth and I donâ€™t think I can  
be a good wife while Iâ€™m still a student. We have to be so selfish as  
students- competing for grades, experience, recommendations, and  
eventually jobs. Marriage requires completely integrating our goals  
and deferring to the common good of our union and not whatâ€™s  
necessarily better for us as individuals. I mean, not that just as a  
girlfriend I donâ€™t want to completely support your or help you achieve  
your ambitionsâ€¦â€

â€œI fully understand that and agree. Maybe some people can do it,  
but we canâ€™t be married while weâ€™re in school. Then thereâ€™s the whole  
issue that if something happened and you got pregnant, it might make  
us feel differently about it if we were married.â€ Noah canâ€™t ignore  
the giant elephant in the room.

â€œNoah,â€ Abbey catches Noahâ€™s gaze, her eyes wavering with the  
weight of emotion.â€œ You know how I feel. I couldnâ€™t put myself through  
an abortion, but I certainly couldnâ€™t raise a child while Iâ€™m still in  
school. Babies are completely selfish creatures that donâ€™t sympathize  
with your need to sleep or study or abandon them for class. I canâ€™t  
get pregnant now, and I know that if we were married and it happened,  
there would be no chance of going back.â€

â€œ I know that. We want kids, but not any time soon. So we wait  
until after school to get married. But this way when a guy looks at  
your finger heâ€™ll know youâ€™ve already given your heart away.â€ He  
cracks a grin to lighten the mood. Even though heâ€™s joking, there is  
something satisfying about knowing that when Abbey goes out, others  
will realize sheâ€™s spoken for and wonâ€™t try anything.

â€œI should smack you for that.â€ Abbey shakes her head in disapproval.

â€œ I wouldnâ€™t mind,â€ Noah teases, breaking a piece of biscuit. â€œ  
But not until after breakfast.â€

â€œWhere are you registering?â€ Donna inquires, flipping through a  
bride magazine she and CJ had come across at a convenience store that  
morning.

â€œWe donâ€™t know. We havenâ€™t really talked about it,â€ Abbey  
admits, placing her suitcase by the front door to the suite. The kids  
had come back to the hotel to an overly excited and congratulatory  
crowd. Their families had grilled them from the outset, and it hasnâ€™t  
ceased even though theyâ€™re all ready to check out.

â€œWhat about the venue? You must have thought about the venue.â€ CJ  
finds a stray book of PJâ€™s lying on a coffee table and delivers it to  
him to store in his back-pack.

Sharing a smile with Noah who is waiting patiently on the couch  
with PJ while the women finish their packing, Abbey looks at her  
mother. Josh and Danny have just returned from checking out and are  
almost ready to go fetch the rental cars.

â€œWeâ€™d like to have it at the Bartlet farm, if thatâ€™s okay with  
you and Grandma.â€ Abbey picks up her purse and pads over to the couch  
to perch on Noahâ€™s lap.

By the looks on CJ and Donnaâ€™s faces, they are incredibly touched.

â€œOh, honey, thatâ€™s a wonderful idea,â€ gushes CJ.

â€œAnd incredibly lame,â€ PJ deadpans.

â€œPJâ€¦â€ Danny raises a warning eyebrow at his son.

â€œShut up!â€ Abbey whacks PJ over the head and stands again.

â€œHey, thatâ€™s enough. No hitting or making fun of wedding plans.  
God, itâ€™s like having a flashback to ten years ago.â€ CJ shakes her head.

Standing up, Noah fixes PJ with a stare. â€œ And you canâ€™t be my  
groomsman if youâ€™re gonna make fun of the wedding.â€

â€œAll right, deal. But I can sill make fun of Abbey, right?â€ PJ  
teases good-naturedly.

â€œSpeaking of the wedding party, you need to call Ella and Davy  
and tell them the good news,â€ Donna instructs.

â€œYeah, I will tonight,â€ Noah assures his mother.

â€œHave you decided on a wedding party?â€ Josh enquires from his  
spot near the door.

Abbey collects her suitcase by the door as Danny does a final  
check of the room. â€œDefinitely all the family, plus some friends. Iâ€™m  
asking Ella, Kyla, and Mackenzie to be bridesmaids and Briar to be my  
maid of honour.â€

â€œAll right, team, letâ€™s get going. We donâ€™t wanna miss our  
flight.â€ Josh heads into the hall where he, Donna and Noahâ€™s luggage  
is waiting in the hall from when they abandoned their room.

â€œWhat about your side, Noah?â€ CJ enquires, shutting the door  
behind her once everyone and their belongings have vacated the room.

â€œThereâ€™s Davy,PJ and Hayden and probably Brock as my best man.â€

â€œOh, this so just exciting. Itâ€™s exactly what weâ€™ve been hoping  
for,â€ Donna states enthusiastically as they all board the elevator.

â€œYouâ€™ve been hoping for us to get married?â€ Abbey asks in wonder.

â€œWeâ€™ve all wanted the two of you to get married for a while,â€ CJ  
admits with a smile.

â€œHave you been thinking about this longer than we have?â€ Noah  
shakes his head in disbelief.

Wrapping an arm around her grown daughter, CJ nods honestly.  
â€œWeâ€™ve been dreaming of this since you were five. While you two were  
playing â€˜houseâ€™ with your kitchen set, plastic toolbox and dolls,  
Donna and I were thinking how nice it would be if the game turned into  
reality.â€

â€œHa! Noah played with dolls?â€ PJ canâ€™t contain his laugh.

â€œSo? You carried around your blanket and elephant til you were  
seven,â€ Abbey retorts.

â€œAll right, thatâ€™s enough, guys,â€ CJ raises a brow.

â€œThis may be the beginning of their life together, but itâ€™s like  
their childhood never ends,â€ Danny sighs with a grin.

The End


End file.
